Lamp



June 7, 1949. D. TROMPETER- LAMP Filed July 3, 1945 Patented June 7,1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAMP David Trompeter, Sandy Hook, Conn.Application July 3, 1945, Serial No. 602,986

4 Claims. 1

The subject of this invention is a new and valuable electric-lightlamp-entity. I

The fundamental concept of the invention is a make and break device forthe circuit which energizes the illuminating means (as one or moreincandescent lamp or light bulbs), with such device capacitated to bethrown to circuit making or circuit breaking condition, not as usual atthe cost of hawng to grope and fumble for the difficult to find actuator(such as a pull-chain or push-button or tum-leaf), but as the resultmerely of slightly tilting the lampshade; the arrangement being suchthat this tilt may occur as the result of a relatively slighttilt-imparting thrust applied to the lampshade along any one of amultiplicity of directions of thrust application with all suchdirections differentially angularly displaced circumferentially of thegeneral lamp structure. Thus, the lampshade may be readily manuallyintercepted in the darkest room, regardless of the direction of approachtoward the lamp, and so regardless of what a real or edge subdivision ofthe lampshade is thus intercepted; and then the lampshade may be givenits tiltimparting thrust at the portion of the lampshade thusintercepted. This is the fundamental principle of the invention; aprinciple wholly new in the art so far as I am aware. Ascontradistinguished from the inaccessible pull-chain, pushbutton or thelike, relatively minute as compared to the general expanse of the lampas a whole, and time-consuming and annoying to locate when it is desiredto turn the lamp on or oil", particularly the former and thereforegenerally in a dark room, the present invention ofi'ers a manipulablemeans of considerable expanse and hence immediately interceptible bytouch in pitch-black darkness, there is provided by the presentinvention a manipulable means for turning the lamp on or off which is ofconsiderable expanse and so immediately perceptible in completedarkness, and which, furthermore, is always operable in response tohardly more than the slightest of upward or downward finger-tip thrustsat that one of a multiplicity of possibly engageable points which is atthe moment in line with the direction of interceptive approach to thelamp.

The invention will be more fullyunderstood, and the features abovementioned and others, and the various objects and advantagescontemplated, from the following description of certain now preferredembodiments as illustratively shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly broken away andpartly in section, showing an embodiment having a universally tiltablelampshade pursuant to the invention, as the word tilt has been usedherein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, showing amodification.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, and first particularly to Fig.1, the type of lamp here shown is of the depending bulb design, andcomprises a pedestal it of any shape fancied by the designer; asuperstructure including a pair of bulb sockets l6 for the customaryincandescent light bulbs I1 and a cup-shaped canopy or body generallymarked I8 from which the sockets l6 depend; a finial IQ for threadedattachment to the top of the body l8; a skeletal lampshade support orframe 26 fashioned in the usual way of a plurality of welded togetherwire members portions of which latter converge to join a central ring oreye 20a for facilitating dependable securement of said frame to the bodyI8 by the finial l9; and a gravity-positioned lampshade 2| fitted uponand lying embracingly around the frame 20.

In accordance with accepted lamp manufacturing practice, the body I8 ismade up of two spun metal parts; an approximately hemispherical or cap23. Also pursuant to accepted practice, the receptacle 22 at its lowerend is suitably fixed to the top cf the pedestal; which latter, like thebody [8, is hollow for the passage therethrough of the currentconducting wires going to the appropriate terminals within the socketsl1.

However, unlike the previous methods of lamp manufacture, neither ofsaid wires is interrupted at some point between the top and bottom ofthe pedestal for interposition of the usual push-button, turn-blade orpull-chain operated switch for opening and closing the lamp circuitthereat. On the contrary, the wire for switch interposition therein isstill unbroken when both wires beyond the top of the pedestal enter theinterior of the body l8 for connection in the familiar way with thesockets ll. The wire to take the switch is broken within the body 18,and the two wire ends which result are connected respectively to theterminals of a switch to be opened and closed according to the inventionby relative'movement between two parts [of the lamp assemblage.

In the embodiment now being described, these lamp parts are thelampshade 2|, and with it the frame 20, on the one hand, and the body l8atop the pedestal IE, on the other. 1

Said switch, indicated generally at 2B, is desira bly a toggle switch,and is shown as a toggle switch of standard type. A toggle switch ispreferable, because a characteristic thereof is that it incorporates anactuator which when moved a certain distance in an appointed directionthrows the switch from open to closed condition if it was previouslyopen, and throws the switch from closed to open condition if it waspreviously closed. A well-known form of such a switch is one wherein apull on the actuator reverses the switch, and wherein the snap-overspring-means of the switch restores the actuator to normal partialretraction within the switch incidental to a reversal of its circuitaffecting condition. The switch 26 illustratively shown herein is aswitch of the kind just above described; the same being manufactured byMcGill Manufacturing Co., of New York, N. Y., and commerciallypurchasable on the open market under the designation Levolier fixtureswitch for 3 amp. 250 volts-6 amp. 125 volts. As the construction anddetails of operation of this switch are well-known, its interiormechanism is not herein illustrated to an extent .beyond that requiredfor complete understanding of the present inventiono; and it willsufilce to say here that said switch has its working parts enclosed in acasing 2'! and that operatively connected to its interior mechanism is auniversal-joint-type mounted actuator 28 projeced from the casing forpull through a relatively short distance to effect reversal of thecondition of the switch.

The switch casing 21 is suitably fixed in the body 18, as at 29, so thatthe actuator 28 is vertically uppermost and arranged as shown, that is,to extend through and project somewhat above the top of a shortupstanding collar 230. on the cap 23. The thus projected upper endportion of the actuator, which is cylindrical in form, is threaded, andthe bottom of the finial I8 is provided with an axially extending recessinteriorly threaded to match the thread on the actuator; whereby, withthe lampshade frame 2i at its central eye a sleeving the actuator 28where the latter projects above the cap 23, the finial may then bescrewed down tight onto the actuator to lock the frame 20 to the generallamp structure, but, nevertheless, to permit the switch to be operated,and thereby to turn the lamp on or oil, by manually imparting a slighttilting or rocking movement to the lampshade relative to the body [8 andconsequently relative to the pedestal, regardless of the direction ofapplication, inwardly radially of the lampshade, all around thecircumference of the latter, of a tilt inducing pressure.

This rocking can be either a downward or upward one at the point on thelampshade engaged by the hand, and, as just stated, such point can beanywhere around the lampshade. Obviously, since the lampshade is ofgreatest diameter at its bottom, maximum mechanical advantage isobtained for up-pull on the actuator 23 when the rocking force is alifting one at some point around the bottom of the lampshade; and thisis fortuitous, since actual tests have demonstrated that the easiest andmost naturally automatic way of attempting to effect the desiredrelative movement between the lamp parts is by upthrust of a fingeragainst the bottom edge of the lampshade.

Whether the lampshade is rocked upwardly or downwardly, to turn the lampor or ofi, there is an ideal leve'r action; and it will be noted thatwhat in effect is provided is always a lever of considerable length withits fulcrum resident in some point around the top outercircumferentially tion .85 forming the base of the pedestal.

raised marginal portion 23b of the cap 23 of the body l8.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, this shows theinvention applied to a type of lamp wherein the socket for the bulb isupstanding atop the pedestal or other support, or upstanding relative tobut ofiset from a main support, as the wall-plaque in the case of aso-called pin-up or wall lamp. Such a socket equipped lamp commonlyembodies the familiar harp for carrying a lampshade support or frameabove the bulb and at its own top having a threaded post on which afinial is to be screwed down to fasten said lampshade support to theharp. The form of the invention here elected to be shown embodies apedestal and its base, generally marked 10. The pedestal suitablycarries at its top a socket H for a bulb 12. Around the lower end of thesocket, as usual, the bottom of a harp 13, by way of a central openingin such bottom, sleeves a neck 14 fixedly dependent from the socket; andin the familiar way a frame 15, for taking a lampshade 7B, is secured tothe top of the harp by a finial 'l'l screwed down onto a threaded post76a fixed to the top of the harp.

The bottom of the neck 14 is flat and normally bears flat against thefiat top of the pedestal. Suitably secured at its upper end within theneck is the actuator of the same kind of toggle switch as employed inFig. 1; said switch and actuator here indicated at 80 and 81respectively. The switch casing is suitably secured in the hollowinterior of the upper end of the pedestal.

To control the lamp circuit, either to close or open the same, all thatis required is to tilt the frame 15 up or down (and with it the harp andsocket), a slight distance, by force applied at any point around thecircumference of the frame 15, exactly as in Fig. 1. Here, however, therelative movement is between a lamp socket and a support therefor.

Still referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the pedestal is alsoshown as in two longitudinal pillar like sections, 8d and 85, above .abottom sec- Between each of these sections 84 and 85, in the same manneras just above explained in connection with the switch 88. is a likeswitch 81; and between the section 35 and the base 56, in the samemanner as just above explained in connection with the switch 88, is alike switch 88.

Thus, in turning the lamp on or off, this may be accomplished, at will,by either rocking the socket relative to the pedestal as a whole, orrocking the upper pedestal section relative to the lower pedestalsection 85, or by rocking the lastnamed section relative to the base .86according. respectively, as the switch 80, only, of the three switchesBl], Bi and 88 is present to act as such, or the switch 8! only ispresent to act as such, or the switch 88 only is present to act as such.

It will be understood that all structures illustrated herein are by wayof illustration or exemplification only, and not in any way to be takenas delimitative of the invention. Variations and modifications arepossible in divers ways, and parts of the improvements may be usedwithout others. The scope of protection is to be taken solely from theappended claims, construed as broadly as is consistent with the priorart. In brief, all language herein is to be taken in an illustrative andnot in a limiting sense.

Furthermore, while it will have been observed that in the forms of theinvention illustratively shown herein the lampshade and the lampshadeframe or support are shown as separate or separable Structures, itshould be noted it is also standard practice now with some manufacturersto fabricate lampshades so that the shade itself is of such stiffmaterial as to be self-sustaining in regard to shape, or to fabricate alampshade wherein the frame or support, as a wire one of skeletal type,is permanently joined to or built into the lampshade; therefore,whenever herein a lampshade is mentioned, or a lampshade support orframe is mentioned, particularly in the claims, in either term there isincluded a lampshade of either of the two kinds just described.

I claim:

1. An electrically wired lamp comprising a main lamp structure, anelectrically energizable illuminating means interposed in the circuitconstituted by such wiring, a switch carried by said structure and alsointerposed in said circuit, said switch being inclusive of an operatingmechanism having a projected universally rockable actuator, saidmechanism operating in response to a rocking of said actuator tocondition said switch to reverse the same as between circuit opening andcircuit closing condition, a lampshade, and means for operativelyconnecting said lampshade and said actuator and operably associated withsaid main lamp structure to mount the lampshade tiltably on the latter,said means being so arranged that a tilt of the lampshade at any pointtherearound manually casually encountered correspondingly rocks saidactuator.

2. A lamp as in claim 1, said switch being of a type such that when saidactuator is rocked the switch is thrown to circuit closing or circuitopening condition dependent on whether the switch was previously incircuit opening or in circuit closing condition.

3. A lamp as in claim 1, said switch being of a type such that when saidactuator is rocked the switch is thrown to circuit closing of circuitopening condition dependent on whether the switch was previously incircuit opening or in circuit closing condition, and said switchincorporating a resilient means for restoring the actuator to a normaldirection of projection from the remainder of the switch following anyrocking of the actuator to throw the switch to circuit opening orcircuit closing condition.

4. A lamp as in claim 1, said switch being of a type such that when saidactuator is rocked the switch is thrown to circuit closing or circuitopening condition dependent on whether the switch was previously incircuit opening or in circuit closing condition, there being meanspartially carried by the lampshade and partially carried by said lampstructure for affording a leverage contributing agent in regard to anytilt-imparting thrust on the lampshade applied at a point outwardlydisplaced from said actuator in any direction away from the latter.

DAVID TROMPETER.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenrces are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,049,562 Burton Jan. 7, 19132,102,224 Ruppel Dec. 14, 1937 2,136,369 Belcher Nov. 15, 1938 2,267,895Boynton Dec. 30, 1941

